In current systems, the flexibility resulting from the existing large set of parameters included in the different algorithms cannot be fully used because of its complexity. In the planning stage, homogeneous networks are normally considered, as the large set of parameter makes the detailed planning process on a cell-by-cell basis a time-consuming task. As a consequence, the operators fix parameters to a common set of default values shared between cells, even if no optimum performance in terms of quality/capacity is reached. This homogeneity hypothesis may be far from reality, where interference or propagation severity can vary both in time and space over the network.
Moreover, a few operators extend the parameter optimization by classifying the cells in accordance with certain scenarios like rural, urban, tunnel, indoors etc. and or in accordance with the layer/band used (like Macro900/1800, Micro900/1800, Pico1800, Motorway900). So, the cells are divided into scenario groups or layer/band groups, and common default parameter values are shared which, however, are not optimum.
In those cases where new features are enabled, so-called field trials are required. During the tuning process, conclusions from parameter changes are difficult to derive, and final settings are nearly always on the safe side with its limited results. Moreover, such trials are normally focused on global parameters of features under study, and parameter optimization of adjacent cells is hardly ever done. So, differences between adjacent cells are rarely considered due to a high effort required. Therefore, the potential of so-called adjacency parameters is not fully exploited.
A final limited parameter tuning based on cell/area level performance indicators is normally carried out only over those cells where performance problems are existing.
Even if an optimum value were reached by means of the above-mentioned trials, changes in traffic or environment conditions, like the installation of new cells, changes of interference level by frequency re-planning etc., would force a further re-tuning process of the parameter base, where no automatic reactive process is currently in use. Such a situation could be analyzed as a result of slow trends, like the change of the number of user registrations, or fast changes, e.g. of the number of connections, during a short time period, like an hour or a day.
One of the critical causes of network variations is interference. Differences in propagation conditions between cells or changes in the frequency plan will produce variations in time or space. Adaptation to this variations would increase network performance, but would also require a very high tuning effort.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,685 A discloses a load sharing control for a mobile cellular radio system so as to achieve a load sharing between a first cell and a second cell adjacent to the first cell where each cell is serving a number of mobile devices. The first cell has a predetermined entering threshold which is a function of the received signal strength for mobile devices entering this cell from the second adjacent cell by means of handoff. A certain occupancy level indicates the occupied channels in relation to the available channels in the cell. For handover, the occupancy level of the first and second cells are determined, and it is further determined whether the second cell has a lower occupancy level than the first cell. Then, an entering threshold level for the second cell is determined which is a function of the received signal strengths for the mobile devises in the first cell about to enter the second cell. The entering threshold for the second cell is decreased if the occupancy level of the second cell is found to be lower than the occupancy level of the first cell, whereby the border between the first and second cells is dynamically changed. So, in this known system, the redistribution of the users for congestion relief is usually achieved by shrinking loaded cells through temporarily reduced margins for handovers between adjacent cells.
From this analysis, it is obvious that a great potential gain can be obtained from an automatic optimising and tuning process for load balance among cells, which would probably take advantage of cell/adjacent parameters. This would help planners in the tuning process and offer the operators cost savings and improved performance, despite changes of traffic environment both in space and time.